Urtica dioica: Anticancer Properties and Other Systemic Health Benefits from In Vitro to Clinical Trials

Abstract

While conventional medicine has advanced in recent years, there are still concerns about its potential adverse reactions. The ethnopharmacological knowledge established over many centuries and the existence of a variety of metabolites have made medicinal plants, such as the stinging nettle plant, an invaluable resource for treating a wide range of health conditions, considering its minimal adverse effects on human health. The aim of this review is to highlight the therapeutic benefits and biological activities of the edible Urtica dioica (UD) plant with an emphasis on its selective chemo-preventive properties against various types of cancer, whereby we decipher the mechanism of action of UD on various cancers including prostate, breast, leukemia, and colon in addition to evaluating its antidiabetic, microbial, and inflammatory properties. We further highlight the systemic protective effects of UD on the liver, reproductive, excretory, cardiovascular, nervous, and digestive systems. We present a critical assessment of the results obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials to highlight the gaps that require further exploration for future prospective studies.

Keywords: Urtica dioica; anticancer; health benefits; natural product; pharmacological properties.

Figure 1

Overview of the chemical composition of the nettle plant.

Figure 2

Overview of the anticancer properties of the nettle plant (↑: increase ↓: decrease).

Figure 3

Overview of the nettle plant’s antidiabetic, microbial, and inflammatory properties and protective effects on the liver, reproductive, excretory, cardiovascular, nervous, and digestive systems (↑: increase, ↓: decrease).